Day 3 of the 2025 ACC Kickoff featured six teams, but no squad took center stage quite like the Clemson Tigers. Yes, there was a media frenzy for the North Carolina Tar Heels and new head coach Bill Belichick, but Clemson’s buzz was rooted in more substance. Head coach Dabo Swinney spoke, alongside quarterback Cade Klubnik, wide receiver Antonio Williams, defensive lineman Peter Woods, and edge rusher T.J. Parker.
The Tigers’ prolific passing game, which profiles as a strength in 2025, was the center of attention on Thursday. Newcomer Tristan Smith slides into a wide receiver room of capable weapons in T.J. Moore, Bryant Wesco Jr., and Antonio Williams.
“[I’m] super excited, man,” Williams told me. “Everybody in that [receiver] room, we all love football. We all love the art of route running. Tristan, like you said, he’s got his head in the right spot. He’s focused. He came here for a reason and he wants to play. We all want each other to win.”
Wide Receiver – Antonio Williams
That confidence in the offense’s potential is found all around the Clemson roster. Star quarterback Cade Klubnik lit up with a smile when I asked him about what Smith brought to the group of pass-catchers.
“[I’m] super pumped,” he said. “Tristan has exceeded all of our expectations. We had high expectations for him, and he’s exceeded them. He’s got glue hands, doesn’t drop a ball. His work ethic is unbelievable. He’s just going to help us, and that [wide receiver] room is already unbelievable. [I’m] really, really excited for him.”
Clemson Quarterback – Cade Klubnik
Klubnik was also excited about the cohesiveness of the team, and what it can achieve in 2025.
“AbsoIutely,” he said, when asked if Clemson feels like a championship team. “It’s the same team as last year, just more veteran, and [we] added a few pieces. Obviously we lost a couple of guys we really loved having last year. But we’ve been through it together, and we continue to grow and keep getting better every single week.”
Clemson kicks off their 2025 campaign with a blue-blood battle against the LSU Tigers. Many have called the game a battle for whose stadium is the true ‘Death Valley’. Klubnik didn’t want to add fuel to that fire, however, answering “No comment” when asked by the media in Charlotte.
